Jerusalem’s Old City concentrates the holiest sites of three world religions within 0.9 square kilometres of stone lanes — no walk on earth is more historically dense. This jerusalem walking tour companion is paired with “ISRAEL: JERUSALEM 4K Walking Tour | Old City Walk (Muslim & Christian Quarters)” — an immersive 4K walk through the Old City’s medieval streets covering the Damascus Gate, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the approach to the Western Wall.
About This Walking Tour
This 4K walking tour covers the Muslim and Christian quarters of Jerusalem’s Old City — the two most densely layered of the four quarters (the others being the Jewish and Armenian). The Muslim Quarter, entered through the Damascus Gate (Bab al-Amud), is the most populous and commercial of the four quarters, with the main market street of Khan al-Zait running south from the gate through a covered souk. The Via Dolorosa — the 14-station route Christ is said to have walked to his crucifixion — runs through this quarter before entering the Christian Quarter at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the traditional sites of both the Crucifixion (Golgotha) and the Resurrection, is shared by six Christian denominations — Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syriac — whose respective chapels and rights are governed by an elaborate Status Quo agreement dating to 1853. The Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest accessible site, is a short walk through the Jewish Quarter from the church.
Highlights of Jerusalem’s Old City
Damascus Gate (Bab al-Amud, Gate of the Column) is Jerusalem’s most ornate and busiest city gate, built by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1542. The gate opens onto a broad plaza that is the most active entry point to the Old City, with vendors, pilgrims, and residents creating a constant flow. Underneath the current gate, remains of the Roman gate (2nd century AD) and Crusader-period gates are visible in excavations.
The Dome of the Rock (691 AD), visible from much of the Old City above the Western Wall plaza, is built on the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif) — the site of the First and Second Jewish Temples and the third holiest site in Islam. The golden dome, covered since 1993 with 80 kilograms of gold, and the octagonal blue-tiled exterior make it one of the most visually distinctive structures in the world. The adjacent Al-Aqsa Mosque (built 8th century, rebuilt multiple times) is the site where Muslims believe Mohammed led prayers during the Night Journey.
The Western Wall (Kotel) is the exposed section of the retaining wall of the Second Temple’s platform, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. For Judaism it is the closest accessible point to the Holy of Holies — the innermost sanctum of both temples. The plaza in front of the wall is an outdoor synagogue open 24 hours; notes with prayers or wishes are placed in the wall’s cracks and collected twice yearly.
A Brief History of Jerusalem
Jerusalem has been conquered, destroyed, and rebuilt at least 44 times by different civilisations over approximately 3,000 years of recorded history. King David made it his capital around 1000 BC; Solomon built the First Temple. Successive conquests by Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims, Crusaders, Mamluks, and Ottomans each left physical traces. The current city walls were built by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1535–1538 on Byzantine and Crusader foundations.
The modern city was under Ottoman rule until 1917, then British Mandate until 1948, when the State of Israel was declared and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War divided the city. Israel captured the eastern part of the city including the Old City in 1967. The status of Jerusalem — claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians as a capital — remains one of the central unresolved issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making the Old City simultaneously one of the world’s most visited pilgrimage sites and one of its most politically complex.
Practical Tips
Jerusalem Light Rail serves Damascus Gate and Jaffa Gate. The Old City is entirely pedestrian once inside the walls; 1 square kilometre is walkable in a day. Israel uses the shekel. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is free but extremely crowded; arrive before 8am or after 4pm. The Western Wall is open 24 hours and free; men must cover their heads (kippot available at the gate). The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif has restricted visiting hours for non-Muslims and is closed on Muslim prayer times. Dress modestly throughout the Old City.
Best Time to Visit
March through May and October through November offer comfortable temperatures. Easter, Passover, and Ramadan bring their respective communities in large numbers and create extraordinary atmosphere but significant crowds. The Old City is most crowded on weekends and Jewish/Christian/Muslim holidays simultaneously.
Watch & Explore More
Watch the full 4K Old City walk above. Find more Middle East content at the @walkingtoursvideoscom channel. Related posts: Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus White City to Jaffa walk and Amman’s Rainbow Street to Roman Citadel walk.